A wall system

ABSTRACT

A method of constructing an external weatherpoof wall of a building  1  by way of a series of posts  6, 10  and panels  9 . The method involves orienting a post  6, 10  vertically between the roof and wall and securing it in place. A panel is then oriented vertically and moved against the post. A further post is placed against the free side of the panel and the procedure repeated until a wall is established panel after post. The wall can be disassembled without the application of destructive force. Preferably only the posts are bolted to the roof and floor and the panels are held between the posts without receiving fixing means such as screws, bolts, or the like to hold them there.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates to a wall system. A particularly preferred form of the invention relates to a wall system which can be used in the context of transportable buildings.

BACKGROUND

It is known from New Zealand patent No. 532620 (in the name Habode IP Limited) to create a building which can be shipped in the manner of a freight container. The building can then be assembled on site. Installation may involve swinging a floor and a roof outwards from a housing by way of pivot connections. More specifically, the floor may swing down and the roof may swing up. When the floor and roof have been arranged in this way it is desirable to create a wall therebetween. It is accordingly an object of at least one form of the present invention to go at least some way towards facilitating this, or to provide the public with a useful choice. While reference has been made to New Zealand patent No 532620, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to buildings described in that document.

The term “comprising” or derivatives thereof, if and when used in this document should not be interpreted to exclude the possibility of other features.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a method of constructing at least a part of an external weatherproof wall of a building comprising the steps of:

-   -   i) obtaining a structural post which has a first slot running         along one side thereof and a second slot running along an         opposite side thereof, the slots facing substantially different         directions,     -   ii) obtaining a wall panel which has a first edge part and         second edge part, each edge part opposite the other,     -   iii) arranging the post so that it is substantially vertical         between a roof and a floor with its slots running substantially         vertically, and securing the post in that disposition,     -   iv) arranging the wall panel so that its first edge part is         fitted in the first slot in a watertight manner,     -   v) obtaining a second structural post with slots substantially         the same as for the first mentioned post and arranging and         securing it between the roof and floor so that one of the slots         of that second post receives the second edge part of the panel         in a watertight manner,     -   vi) arranging a second panel with edge parts substantially the         same as those of the first mentioned panel so that one of the         edge parts of that second panel is within the other slot of the         second post to create a watertight fit therebetween, and     -   vii) repeating steps v) and vi) with but using further posts         having substantially similar slots and further panels having         substantially similar edge parts to substantially create the         wall or part thereof,         the wall being such that it can be disassembled without the         application of destructive force to the panels or posts.

Preferably the posts are secured to the roof and floor with fixing members (eg bolts) and the panels are fitted to the posts without fixing members.

Preferably the slots of the posts and the edge parts of the panels are complimentary to enable female/male fitting therebetween.

Preferably the roof has a generally down facing channel, and an upper part of each post and/or an upper part of each panel is fitted into that channel.

Preferably upper ends of the posts and/or panels are fitted into the channel of the roof and then swung downwards until they are substantially vertically oriented.

Preferably the channel is generally “

” shaped.

Preferably the posts and/or panels are swung downwards onto an extrusion forming part of the floor after engaging the roof.

Preferably the floor has a generally

shaped extrusion and a lower part of each post and a lower part of each panel is fitted against that extrusion.

Preferably strips of sealing material are used to achieve watertight fittings between the panels and posts, and/or between the panels and the roof and floor, and/or between the posts and the roof and floor.

Preferably the building can be disassembled and parts of the roof and floor swung inwards about hinges so that the building assumes the shape of a shipping container.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a weatherproof wall or part thereof formed according to a method as set out above.

According to a further aspect of the invention there is provided a kit of parts suitable for forming a weatherproof wall or part thereof by way of the method as set out above, the kit comprising the posts and panels, and optionally the channel and/or the extrusion.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some preferred forms of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portable building in a disassembled state ready for shipping in the manner of a freight container,

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the building in a partially assembled state,

FIGS. 3 & 4 are perspective views showing opposite sides of the building when fully assembled,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a panel used in assembling the building,

FIG. 6 provides elevation views of various optional panels for use in the building,

FIGS. 7 & 8 illustrate the way panels may be erected to form a wall of the building,

FIGS. 9 & 10 show a channel forming part of the building's roof in cross section and in perspective respectively,

FIGS. 11 & 12 show a channel forming part of the building's floor in cross section and in perspective respectively,

FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a medial post forming part of the building,

FIG. 14 is a perspective view detailing part of the medial post,

FIG. 15 is a transverse cross section view of the medial post,

FIG. 16 shows perspective and cross sectional detail of a particular panel forming part of the building,

FIG. 17 is a perspective view showing detail of the way that the panel engages the floor of the building, and

FIG. 18 is a transverse cross section showing a corner post of the building fitted with panels substantially at right angles to one another.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows a portable building 1 in a disassembled state, substantially arranged as a 40 foot shipping container which conforms to ISO standards. When in its FIG. 1 configuration the building 1 can be shipped as an upper or lower part of a stack of containers, and is thus able to withstand substantial compressive force. FIG. 2 shows the building 1 in a partially assembled state with roof 2 and floor 3 extensions proceeding outwards from a central part 4. When the building is in the container configuration shown in FIG. 1 the roof 2 and floor 3 extensions overlap one another at each side of the container. To achieve the FIG. 2 arrangement these roof 2 and floor 3 extensions are swung up and down respectively by way of a series of hinges 5. As shown in FIG. 2, corner posts 6 may be bolted in place to hold the floor and roof 3 extensions with respect to one another.

When in a fully assembled state the building 1 may appear as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, complete with a sun shade 7 and decking 8. The external walls of the building are created from a series of panels 9 and end and medial posts 6, 10. As shown, some of the panels incorporate windows and some do not. The pattern in which these panels 9 are employed will depend on the requirements and preferences of the end user.

FIG. 5 shows one of the panels 9 in more detail and FIG. 6 shows various other options for the panels in terms of size and shape. FIGS. 7 and 8 exemplify the way in which panels 9 and medial posts 10 are installed, either before or after the corner posts 6 are set in place. Referring to FIG. 7, a panel 9 (step 1) is taken and is angled (step 2) so that an upper edge 11 of the panel fits into a generally “

” shaped upper channel 12 secured to the roof extension 2 (step 3). The profile of the channel 12 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 9 and 10. The bottom edge 13 of the panel 9 is then swung down onto a lower extrusion or channel 14 which is generally

shaped (step 4). The profile of the lower channel 14, which is secured to the floor extension 3, is shown in more detail in FIGS. 11 and 12. The swing of the panel 9 down onto the lower channel 14 is interrupted when the panel is vertical by way of a water stop or ledge 15 (see FIGS. 11 and 12) forming part of the lower channel 14. After the panel is vertically aligned between the upper and lower channels 12 and 14 it is slid sideways (eg to the left of the page) to butt up against one of the posts 10 (step 5).

Referring to FIG. 8, a further post 10′ is then taken (step 6) and inserted between the upper and lower channels 12 and 14, and then slid across to the panel 9 (steps 7 and 8), all in similar fashion to the way the panel 9 has been handled. Further panels and posts can be added in substantially the same way until the exterior wall of the building is complete. The arrangement is such that the sides of the posts 10/10′ provide ‘female’ slots for receiving complimentary ‘male’ edges of the panels 9. These are fitted together in a water tight manner to prevent leaks into the interior of the building.

FIG. 13 provides more detail as to the profile of the medial posts 9. As shown, each post 9 has a tongue 16 at its upper end, and a further tongue 17 at its lower end. These tongues are bolted to the upper and lower channels 12 and 14 respectively. FIG. 14 shows a portion of the post 9 in perspective and FIG. 15 shows the post in transverse cross section.

It is not essential to start an external wall of the building from any particular place, for example it can be commenced from a corner of the building or from a mid section of the building's perimeter. The roof section 2 may need to be supported in someway, for example by way of a small crane or the like, until enough posts/panels are installed to give sufficient structural integrity to keep the roof extension 2 up.

FIG. 16 provides detail of a preferred profile for the panels 9. As can be seen, the vertical and horizontal framing 18 of the panel is adapted to accommodate double cladding, whether it be in the form of panes of glass 19 or non-transparent sheets 20 with insulation 21 therebetween. The non-transparent sheets are preferably formed from plywood laminated with a suitable ‘plastic aluminium’ substance. Further detail of the panel 9 and the way it associates with the floor extension 3 is shown at FIG. 17. FIG. 18 provides detail of one of the corner posts when arranged between two panels 9 at right angles.

To assist in providing a water tight seal between the panels 9 and the rest of the building, the upper channels 12 are fitted with strips of rubber 22 pressed within generally ‘C’ shaped protrusions 23 (see FIGS. 9 and 16). As shown in FIG. 16, the bottom parts of the panels are sealed with respect to the lower channel 14 by further rubber strips 24. Rubber strips 25 or other suitable means are also employed to seal the panes of glass 19 and non-transparent sheets 20 with respect to the panel framing 18. Additional rubber strips 26 (see FIG. 16) may also be employed to provide a water tight seal between the posts 6, 10 and the panels 9.

The posts 6, 10, the channels 12, 14 and the panel framing 18 may all be formed as aluminium extrusions or the like. While the medial and end posts 10, 6 have a different in transverse cross section their edge parts are preferably the same for receiving the panels 9. By following the installation steps described above a watertight exterior wall can be created in a short time, employing a pattern of panels in terms or window positioning which suits the preferences of an end user. The manner in which the exterior wall is created can be reversed so that it can be readily dismantled and/or modified without having to apply destructive force. Thus one does not have to destroy the wall to take it down or, destroy it in part and then rebuild it, to enable disassembly to or modification of the building. As will be appreciated, the wall can be created by simply bolting the posts 6, 9 in place and then slotting the panels in place, one after the other, without screws or bolts for the panels. Because the panels butt tightly into and against the posts the rubber seals between the posts and panels ensure a watertight fit.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that to enable disassembly of the wall at least one of the posts will have a profile slightly different to the others. As shown at FIGS. 14 and 15, most or the medial posts generally have an “H” profile. The post (not shown) which enables disassembly is similar except that it has one the “H” tails 27 missing to give a generally “h” profile. The missing tail means that one of the panels can be swung outwards from the post inside the building to enable access to the bolts which proceed through the tongues 16 and 17 of that post. From there the wall can be disassembled panel after post. A capping (not shown) may be removably screwed in place over the area of the “missing tail” for aesthetic purposes when the wall is in its fully assembled state.

In some embodiments of the invention the panels 9 may have only a glass pane or panes, ie without a non-transparent sheet or sheets. In that case the panels may thus be windows only and in that event, and for the purposes of this document, the arrangement should still be regarded as a wall or part thereof.

While some preferred forms of the invention have been described by way of example it should be appreciated that modifications and improvements can occur without departing from the scope of the following claims. 

1. A method of constructing at least a part of an external weatherproof wall of a building comprising the steps of: i) obtaining a structural post which has a first slot running along one side thereof and a second slot running along an opposite side thereof, the slots facing substantially different directions, ii) obtaining a wall panel which has a first edge part and second edge part, each edge part opposite the other, iii) arranging the post so that it is substantially vertical between a roof and a floor with its slots running substantially vertically, and securing the post in that disposition, iv) arranging the wall panel so that its first edge part is fitted in the first slot in a watertight manner, v) obtaining a second structural post with slots substantially the same as for the first mentioned post and arranging and securing it between the roof and floor so that one of the slots of that second post receives the second edge part of the panel in a watertight manner, vi) arranging a second panel with edge parts substantially the same as those of the first mentioned panel so that one of the edge parts of that second panel is within the other slot of the second post to create a watertight fit therebetween, and vii) repeating steps v) and vi) with but using further posts having substantially similar slots and further panels having substantially similar edge parts to substantially create the wall or part thereof, the wall being such that it can be disassembled without the application of destructive force to the panels or posts.
 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the posts are secured to the roof and floor with fixing members (eg bolts) and the panels are fitted to the posts without fixing members.
 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the slots of the posts and the edge parts of the panels are complimentary to enable female/male fitting therebetween.
 4. A method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the roof has a generally down facing channel, and an upper part of each post and/or an upper part of each panel is fitted into that channel.
 5. A method according to claim 4, wherein upper ends of the posts and/or panels are fitted into the channel of the roof and then swung downwards until they are substantially vertically oriented.
 6. A method according to claim 4 or 5 wherein the channel is generally “

” shaped.
 7. A method according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the posts and/or panels are swung downwards onto an extrusion forming part of the floor after engaging the roof.
 8. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the floor has a generally

shaped extrusion, or in the case of dependency on claim 7 the extrusion is generally

shaped, and a lower part of each post and a lower part of each panel is fitted against that extrusion.
 9. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein strips of sealing material are used to achieve watertight fittings between the panels and posts, and/or between the panels and the roof and floor, and/or between the posts and the roof and floor.
 10. A method of constructing at least a part of an external weatherproof wall of a building, substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
 11. A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the building can be disassembled and parts of the roof and floor swung inwards about hinges so that the building assumes the shape of a shipping container.
 12. A weatherproof wall or part thereof formed according to a method as set out in any one of the preceding claims.
 13. A kit of parts suitable for forming a weatherproof wall or part thereof by way of the method of any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising the posts and panels and, if the claim dependency adopted permits, the channel and/or the extrusion. 